Best time of the year to buy used kite gear?

[espana23]

Hi everyone,

Based on your experience and forgetting about supply chain issues caused by COVID, when would you say is the best time of the year to buy used kite gear? Would that be at the end of the kite season when people are thinking what to buy for next year and getting rid of old gear or at the beginning of the kite season when people are hyped to go kiting and looking on what kite gear to buy, and hence getting rid of old gear?

I realize that kite seasons vary by location, but lets assume the region of Europe which is usually June-September.

Thanks.

- Mike

[dewwy]

Guess it depends, would say around winter time and after brands release new gear, you'd have to factor in delivery time though.

[edt]

Hi everyone,

Based on your experience and forgetting about supply chain issues caused by COVID, when would you say is the best time of the year to buy used kite gear? Would that be at the end of the kite season when people are thinking what to buy for next year and getting rid of old gear or at the beginning of the kite season when people are hyped to go kiting and looking on what kite gear to buy, and hence getting rid of old gear?

I realize that kite seasons vary by location, but lets assume the region of Europe which is usually June-September.

Thanks.

- Mike

The best deals on gear by far are brand new old stock. So for instance, a manufacturer comes out with their 2023 models, at that point, the dealers will offer you fantastic deals on brand new 2022 gear. Unfortunately it's like the car business, there's no set time of the year when manufacturers come out with new models, some might come out with their 2023 gear in January 2022 others might come out with it in December 2022. Kite manufacturers normally (but not always) want to bring out their new models at the height of the season that is June or July (summer for the Northerm hemisphere) so paradoxically you can often get some of the best deals on brand new old stock right at the height of kiteboarding season. But if the kite you want is sold out then there's nothing you can do. Also during the winter a lot of used kite sellers forget that they even have old kites. Then when summer comes around, they go look in the closet decide "I want new kites but the wife will kill me unless I sell my old gear first" so paradoxically again, right during the height of summer a lot of kiters, start selling all their old gear and you can find some great deals on used gear.

The best day to get a great deal is start looking right away and keep your eyes open for months and months. If you decide that "November is the time to buy" then you wake up and buy a kite on the 1st of November that's not how to get a deal. You start looking now and it could be anytime between now and 6 months from now that you'll find a great deal.

In short: there is no "best time" just keep your eyes open. You can get the best deal if you are the least picky. The choosier you are (for me that means, an exact size, year, kite and condition) the more you pay. The more you kite, the more you solidify your preferences, and correspondingly the cost of your kites continues to go up. The newer you are to kiteboarding the less it matters which year, which model, what condition the kite is in and thus you can pay a lot less since you're not very picky. That matters a lot more than when you buy your kite.

[TheJoe]

EDT yeah new used gear used to be the best way to go. We used to get up to 40% off on last years stock but now with the supply chain problems you are doing good to get 20% off. Still better than full price. Prices are high across the board on everything even used gear.

[Windigo1]

In my experience the best time to buy is the fall when new kites collection come out and shop/kite companies rebate their gear from the previous year! The best time to sell is in the spring when people are itching to get out! Of course as other mentioned the deals have been smaller on the last few years but I still manage to get a new kite 75% off last year from a reputable store!

[Pokitren]

Hi everyone,

Based on your experience and forgetting about supply chain issues caused by COVID, when would you say is the best time of the year to buy used kite gear? Would that be at the end of the kite season when people are thinking what to buy for next year and getting rid of old gear or at the beginning of the kite season when people are hyped to go kiting and looking on what kite gear to buy, and hence getting rid of old gear?

I realize that kite seasons vary by location, but lets assume the region of Europe which is usually June-September.

Thanks.

- Mike

If you're looking for used gear, you can do it all year round Just watch when someone is selling it.